A key characteristic for distinguishing Rhizomnium species is the presence or absence of micronemata on older stems. New growth often lacks micronemata, so checking and comparing mature stems, which may be covered with litter, is necessary (FNA 2014).

Other than R. pseudopunctatum, no other species in the genus is synoicous in North America and Greenland (FNA 2014).

R. pseudopunctatum may be mistaken for small Rhizomnium magnifolium plants. R. magnifolium, however, has long and thin marginal cells arranged in 2 layers above rather than marginal cells shorter, typically diamond-shaped to rectangular, and always arranged in 1 layer above as in R. magnifolium (FNA 2014).

Species Range

Present

Range Comments

North American Range

AK to NT, BC to NL and NB, OR and CA, MT s to CO, also MI, NY, and ME (FNA 2014). Known in Montana from Fergus, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier, Lewis and Clark, and Sweet Grass Counties (Elliott and Pipp 2016).

Lawton, E. 1971. Keys for the Identification of the Mosses on the Pacific Northwest. Reprinted from 'Moss Flora of the Pacific Northwest'. Published as Supplement No. 2 of the Journal of the Hattori Botanical Laboratory. Nichinan, Miyazaki, Japan. 66 pp.